Wonderful Tonight
by Aussiejade
Summary: My happy mereder place. A reunion for GA's real love story.


WONDERFUL TONIGHT

She placed her fork down and looked across the table. Izzies head was buried in a magazine, Cristina, sat equally engrossed in a chart, furiously eating a hot dog while trying not to smear the papers with sauce.

Meredith eyes wandered to the windows near by, perfect timing to see Derek and Addison walking past, heavily in conversation. She tried to read their body language but was unable to make it out. She shook her head; to rid herself of the lingering mix of love and sadness she felt when he was near.

"Mer, did you hear me?" Izzie had looked up to see Meredith staring at Derek and his wife.

"Best you don't look," She said softly, reaching over to squeeze Meredith's arm supportively.

"Did you get that dress?" Izzie tried to change the subject to the Hospital fundraiser ball they were all attending the following night.

"I'm not going" Meredith said flatly.  
"Oh you so are" Cristina looked up from her chart.  
"If I'm going, you're going" She said.

"It's not my fault you're boyfriend is making you go… why punish me?" Meredith looked at Cristina and tried to hide her amusement at the thought of Cristina and Burke at a formal dance.

"Oh it's not you being punished, it's me… apparently I did some cruel thing in a former life and now I must pay by being dragged to this ball… you Meredith, are just lucky to be along for the ride" Cristina said, placing her last fry in her mouth.

"I think it will be fun" Izzie injected.

"Fun? Fun is a triple bypass…"Cristina looked at her seriously.

"A craniotomy" Meredith added.

"A Coronary artery bypass graft .. they are fun. Fun is not dressing up and being seen as some trophy on your cardiothoracic surgeon boyfriends arm"

"You won't be a trophy" Meredith shook her head at Cristina.

"Shut up… you get my point" Cristina stood up and looked at Izzie.

"I still think it will be fun, all of us dressed up, dancing… it'll definitely be fun" Izzie stood as well.

"Sometimes Izzie, I think you're simple" Cristina walked off, and Izzie laughed at her.

"You coming?" She asked Meredith who was looking over her shoulder. Izzie followed her stare. Derek, now alone stood at the counter waiting for his lunch.

Izzie looked back at Meredith.

"I've got to go Mer… do you think you could grab me a coke?" She fished in her pocket and placed a few coins on the table. Smiling at her, Izzie walked off too.

Meredith slowly walked over to the counter. She didn't speak, except to place her order but as if they still shared a connection she could feel his eyes on her back.

She turned around and gave him a half smile.

"Hey" He said.

"I thought you were ignoring me" He looked at her with his McDreamy eyes and she cursed him silently.

"You going to the ball tomorrow" He asked her, his eyes remained on her the whole time.

She nodded. Reluctantly.

"You?" She managed to get the words out.

"I am… but I dance…."  
"…In public" she finished and the two both smiled silently, remembering the moment he had shared that information with her.

"Yeah" He said, nodding.

"Is that cause you suck" She teased him.

"Oh I don't suck" He said, stepping closer to her and smiling. The world around them fell silent.

"You suck," She said to him.

"Trust me… I don't suck… I just don't dance in public…." He picked up his order.

"Unless I have something to dance for" He ended the sentence, smiled at her suggestively and walked off, leaving her to catch her breath and wonder what was going through his mind.

Meredith stood in the foyer, in her floor length red strapless gown, of the reception hall. She looked in the shiny tiles on the wall trying to make out her reflection. Her hair was swept up to reveal her bare shoulders.

"You look lovely Grey" Preston voice seemed to boom, and she spun around startled.

"Oh Cristina, you look…" Meredith searched for a word.

"I know I look hot," Cristina said very seriously.

"Yes she does" Burke said.

"We should go in" He took Cristina's arm, and she pulled away.

"We need to get something straight first… there will be no leading, there will be no parading… and please if you must show me off be sure to introduce me to everyone as Dr. Cristina Yang" She said, and Preston looked at her oddly.

"Yes Dr. Yang" he humoured her.

"May we go now Dr. Yang" Burke and Meredith shared an amused look.

"You coming Mer?" She asked, concerned for her friend.

"I just need a second" Cristina nodded her head, in quiet understanding.

Meredith stood alone for a second, counting her breathing. She knew her friends were inside but she wasn't sure she would be able to bare seeing Derek and Addison tonight. She was certain Addison would look divine, in some designer gown and she had no doubt that Derek would look as McDreamy as ever.

"The lady in Red" Derek's voice broke her thoughts this time and Meredith couldn't bring herself to turn around. She hated the thought of standing alone in front of the Shepherds.

"You are ignoring me" Derek said referring to their conversation the day prior.

She shook her head, still with her back to him.

"Meredith" He said, with a slight questioning in his voice.

She closed her eyes and spun around; opening them to see Derek standing alone dressed in a black tuxedo.

"Where's your wife?" Meredith asked abruptly.

Derek put his head down, looking at his feet.

"Long story," He said, looking at her now.

"You going in?" He motioned with his head towards the ballroom.

"That's what I was trying to decide" She replied.

"Come up with anything yet" He looked at her, his head slightly tilted, drinking in her beauty. He had never seen in her quite like this.

He extended his arm. Without thinking of the consequences, and not knowing why his wife was not here she took his hand.

"I think I will," She said, allowing him to lead her inside.

"You look amazing" He leant in and whispered just as they opened the door, the music and atmosphere allowing her to not have to form a response.

Meredith sat at a table, with Izzie, who had taken off her high heels and was rubbing her feet.

"I hate heels," She said.

"So you ready to spill yet?" Izzie asked.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"I saw you walk in with McDreamy…and I've seen the two of you all night staring at each other across the room… you can't take your eyes off each other" Izzie said and Meredith squirmed a little.

"Where's the She Doc Shepherd?" She asked and Meredith shrugged.

"He didn't say?" She said, following him with her eyes as he talked to the Chief and his wife.

At that moment Adele looked over and Meredith tried to look away.

"Sprung" Izzie said as she noticed Adele excusing herself from the men and beginning to walk across the room.

"Don't leave me?" Meredith leant towards Izzie.

"Meredith?" Adele said as a question, but she knew she was right.

"Richard said you look like your mother…. but I don't see it?" She said to her.

"May I sit down?" She gestured to the empty seat next to Meredith.

Meredith nodded and Adele sat, leaning across Meredith to Izzie.

"Would you mind terribly grabbing us all a stiff drink? I think Meredith is going to need it" Izzie looked at Meredith, who shrugged, what could they say. No I begged Izzie not to leave me alone with you.

Izzie hurried off to the bar.

Adele and Meredith sat in silence for a moment watching Richard and Derek chat across the dance floor.

"You know Addison has had enough" Adele said, not shifting her gaze to Meredith. Meredith looked down at her hands in her lap. She was unsure what to say or do.

"She asked Richard to release he from her contract, she wants to go home" When she said the last part she looked at Meredith.

"I didn't know"  
"It's hard you know, to be married to someone who's almost there… I know" Adele added softly, then gave Meredith a small smile, which made her feel strangely relieved.

"I didn't know" Meredith said again.

"Hmmm it's something you don't know unless you live it… sometimes you have to face facts and let go. You can hang on as tight as you want, for as long as you want, but sometimes you've got to let go. I guess Addie finally let go" Adele said as Izzie came back with drinks for them all.

Adele swallowed her champagne in two quick gulps, and then stood up.

She turned to look at Meredith.

"You're much prettier than your mother," She said, before walking off.

"What was that all about?" Izzie asked confused.

"Addison left" Meredith looked from Izzie over too Derek, who was now looking straight back at her, wandering what Adele had said.

As if through channelling the pair began to walk to each other. With each step Meredith was more uncertain of what she would say when she reached him.

Coming together in the middle of the dance floor Derek looked at her with concern.  
"What did she say to you? You know she and Addison are friends" He began to excuse Adele. Meredith shook her head.

"She was fine… she told me what you should have told me…" Meredith's eyes filled with tears and she looked up into his.

"I'm sorry your marriage is over" She said. And she was sincere. She had never wanted to break up a marriage.

"It's not your fault," He whispered, in a way, despite knowing for a long time it was over, he too was a little sorry.

"That's why I didn't tell you, I didn't want you to think it was because of you…" His voice trailed off.

The pair still standing in the middle of the dance floor, fell silent, both of them looking at the floor.

The band began to play a familiar song.

_It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.  
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.  
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"  
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."_

Derek looked up at her and smiled.

"Would you like to dance?" He extended his hand, in a major public display of his deep feelings for her.

"You don't dance…"  
"I told you I don't dance… unless there is a reason" She looked at his hand extended in front of her as he spoke.

"You're my reason," He said softly as she took his hand, he pulled her into his arms, and the world around them disappeared again.

"You're right?" She whispered softly, melting into his embrace.

"You don't suck" Referring to his dancing.

He looked back a little, then she nodded slightly, to his unasked question and he leant in and kissed her.


End file.
